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Additives

Titanium Dioxide (E171): What It Is and Is It Safe?

Hazardous Colour · Mineral pigment

White pigment used to make foods appear whiter. BANNED in the EU since August 2022 following EFSA concluding it can no longer be considered safe - concerns about genotoxicity (potential DNA damage). Still permitted in the USA and UK. Avoid where possible.

Category
Colour — Mineral pigment
Typically used in
Sweets, chewing gum, icing, sauces
Regulatory status
BANNED in EU since 2022. Still permitted USA/UK.
Concerns flagged
Carcinogenicity concernGenotoxicity concern

Scrannr flags Titanium Dioxide automatically when you scan a barcode.

Sources

Where this comes from

  1. EFSA (2016) — Re-evaluation of titanium dioxide -E 171- as a food additive http://dx.doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2016.4545
  2. EFSA (2021) — Safety assessment of titanium dioxide (E 171) as a food additive – no longer considered safe https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6585
Products

Products containing Titanium Dioxide

We're building product pages that show real UK products containing Titanium Dioxide, using Open Food Facts data. They'll appear here soon — in the meantime, scan any barcode with the Scrannr app to check for it instantly.

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